Anywhere. Seriously. Where there's an outlet, you can charge. The type of outlet or charging station will determine how fast you can charge.

The most convenient time to charge is often at night, when your car is parked in your garage. Simply plug in when you arrive home. Model S will charge right away or at the time you’ve scheduled using the Touchscreen or a smart phone. Long before morning, your car will be charged and ready for the next adventure.

Your Model S comes with

Public charging station adapter (J1772, 80 amp capable)

Single Charger (10 kW)

Mobile Connector with adapters for a 110 volt outlet and a 240 volt outlet

When your Model S arrives, your Delivery Experience Specialist will explain how to use the Mobile Connector. You’ll find that charging your car is a lot like plugging in your cell phone.

One end of the Mobile Connector plugs into the Charge Port and the other end plugs into an outlet. Two outlet adapters are included: one for a standard household outlet and a second adapter for a 240 volt outlet. Many additional adapters are available for purchase.

We recommend charging from a 240 volt outlet rather than a 110 volt outlet. A 240 volt outlet provides a lot more power than a standard outlet and will charge your car faster.

Adapter Guide

Most outlets are either standard 110 volt outlets or higher powered 240 volt outlets.
Higher powered outlets charge between four and six times faster than standard household outlets.
If you plan to install an outlet in your garage, we recommend a NEMA 14-50 240 volt outlet.

Model S comes standard with three adapters which connect to most of the outlets you’ll find at home and in the wild:
a NEMA 5-15 110 volt adapter, a NEMA 14-50 240 volt adapter, and a J1772 public charging station adapter.
Additional adapters are available for sale
online.

Charging at night isn’t just convenient, it may be less expensive. Many utility companies offer Time of Use rate plans featuring prices that vary based on demand. At night, demand is lowest and prices drop.

The Touchscreen lets you program a charging schedule to take advantage of these low rates. Plug in when you get home and Model S will begin charging automatically at the time you specify.

A Wall Connector is installed on a 240 volt circuit and can be supplied with up to twice the amperage as an outlet. At maximum amperage it supplies two times more power than the Single Charger can process. This is where Dual Chargers come into play, doubling the charging capacity to 20 kW to match the output of the Wall Connector.

The Charger is not the thing you plug into the wall, that’s a Connector. The Charger is actually on-board the car. The Connector sends Alternating Current (AC) into the Charger. The Charger then converts the power to Direct Current (DC) and sends it to the battery. You can configure your car with the Single Charger or Dual Chargers. Dual Chargers allow twice the conversion capacity as the Single Charger when the power is available.

Think of a charger like a faucet. Just like filling a bucket, you can only fill as fast as the water can flow through the faucet. To fill the bucket faster, you need a bigger faucet.

The Tesla Supercharger recharges Model S quickly. Super quickly. Superchargers are for refueling quickly on road trips. A Supercharger can replenish half the battery in as little as 20 minutes. All Model S vehicles with the 85 kWh battery can use Superchargers as can properly equipped 60 kWh battery vehicles. Superchargers will be positioned at convenient locations along major interstates throughout the country.

PUBLIC CHARGINGSTATIONS

Government agencies and organizations across the country are working to install public charging stations. Model S plugs into these stations with the included J1772 adapter. While many of the public stations being installed today can be used at full power with just the Single Charger, you may encounter some high amperage charging stations in the wild. If you plan to take road trips, we recommend outfitting your Model S with Dual Chargers.

There are many resources for finding charging stations as you plan your trip. On the road, the Model S Touchscreen can help you find charging stations along the way if needed.

CHECK YOURCHARGING STATUSREMOTELY

The Tesla App allows you to check your state of charge remotely. If you’re eating lunch or shopping, pull up the app to see if you have recovered the range needed to get to your next destination. A few minutes before you're ready to hit the road, use the app to heat or cool the cabin to your preferred temperature. The Tesla Mobile App is available to download in the Apple App Store and the Android App Store.

We recommend sticking with the standard Model S configuration. The Mobile Connector (46 km of range per hour of charge, regardless of charger configuration) provides plenty of power to top off your battery in just a couple hours after low mileage days.

You may want to consider installing a Wall Connector on a 50 amp circuit for added convenience. It looks great and keeps your Connector cord tidy when not in use.

WALL CONNECTOR + DUAL CHARGERS

Charging quickly each night and out on the road is important for your lifestyle. We recommend installing a Wall Connector at as high amperage as your home allows (up to 100 amps) and equipping your Model S with Dual Chargers. At home, you'll charge at the rate of 92 km of range per hour of charge. In the wild, you'll be able to take full advantage of high amperage public charging stations.

MOBILE CONNECTOR + DUAL CHARGERS

The Mobile Connector (46 km of range per hour of charge, regardless of charger configuration) will provide plenty of power to top off your battery in just a couple of hours after low mileage days. On road trips however, the Dual Chargers give you the flexibility to charge even faster at high amperage public charging stations with the J1772 adapter.

You may want to consider installing a Wall Connector at home for added convenience. It looks great and keeps your Connector cord tidy when not in use.

We recommend working with our partner SolarCity or a licensed electrician to install your Wall Connector or NEMA 14-50 outlet before your Model S arrives.

Depending on your home’s electrical system, installing a Wall Connector at maximum amperage (100 amps) may be more difficult than installing a 240 volt outlet (50 amps) due to power availability. A Wall Connector can be set to any amperage level. While you won't charge at the rate of 92 km of range per hour of charge, you will be able to enjoy the convenience of a sleek, permanently-installed Connector.

Installation

If you have already found an electrician, please download and share the appropriate summary sheet.

After you submit your details, SolarCity will contact you to schedule a Tesla Charging Consultation. With a few questions about your home and energy use, SolarCity can help you pick the best charging equipment for daily life with your Model S.